MOSCOW, JANUARY 31 (ITAR-TASS) - AN ALL-RUSSIA ESPERANTO CONGRESS OPENS TODAY IN MOSCOW TO DISCUSS PROBLEMS OF LEARNING AND USING ESPERANTO, ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CONSTRUCTED LANGUAGES.

THE CONGRESS IS TIMED FOR THE 110TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CREATION OF THIS INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE AND 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE YOUTH ASSOCIATION OF ESPERANTO, MIKHAIL CHERTILOV, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE OF THE CONGRESS, TOLD ITAR-TASS.

HE SAID MOSCOW IS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE HISTORY OF ESPERANTO. LAZARUS ZAMENGHOF, A RUSSIAN PHYSICIST AND LINGUIST, WHO CREATED ESPERANTO LEAVED IN MOSCOW IN THE EIGHTIES OF THE 19TH CENTURY. THE BOARD OF THE ESPERANTO UNION OF THE SOVIET REPUBLICS WAS SITUATED IN MOSCOW IN THE TWENTIES-THIRTIES.

CHERTILOV SAID THE ESPERANTO ASSOCIATION NOW CONSISTS OF 500 PEOPLE, TO SAY NOTHING OF VARIOUS SCIENTIFIC AND YOUTH CHAPTERS. TWO PUBLISHING HOUSES PRINTING BOOKS IN ESPERANTO FUNCTION IN MOSCOW.

DURING THE CONFERENCE WHICH IS TO LAST FOR THREE DAYS, A PRIZE WILL BE PRESENTED FOR THE BEST VERSE IN ESPERANTO DEDICATED TO MOSCOW. THERE WILL BE TWO CONCERTS, ONE OF POETRY AND THE OTHER OF SONGS.

TASS 31 GEN 11:25